Most expensive guitar build ever.. (here's WHY)
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- This is a brand new guitar named Scarlett, coming in hot from the workbenches of the Tom Sands Guitars workshop! What do you think?
// Model: S
// Top: Lucky Strike Redwood
// Back & Sides: 'The Tree' Quilted Mahogany
FULL AUDIO DEMO:
www.tomsandsguitars.com/scarlett
Played here by Will McNicol: willmcnicol.co.uk
Join us on Instagram:
/ tom_sands_guitars
Order a custom guitar:
www.tomsandsguitars.com
00:00 - Intro
00:24 - 'The Tree' Back & Sides
02:07 - 'Lucky Strike' Soundboard
03:10 - Bindings and Tuners
04:25 - Sound Demo
06:29 - Whiskey Pairing
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Bio:
Tom Sands is a luthier renowned for creating some of the most responsive guitars in the world. Since apprenticing for Ervin Somogyi, Tom has taken his talents to North Yorkshire, building custom acoustic guitars from the Tom Sands Guitars workshop. Subscribe to the channel for weekly videos, ranging from Tommy’s Tonewoods, Guitar rundowns, to beautiful live sessions from independent artists. Join the community here, we love ya x
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Tags:
Tom Sands Guitars, Tom, Sands, Tom Sands, Lutherie, Luthier, Handmade, custom guitars, acoustic, acoustics, acoustic guitars, expensive guitars, woodworking, woodwork, live sessions, steel string guitars, guitars, workshop, shop sessions, shop, sessions, tommy’s tonewood, tommy, tonewood, tonewoods - Hudba
Considering the history of other woods on this guitar, for ziricote parts, I was expecting at least those pieces of wood originally survived the eruption of Krakatoa and were miraculously preserved by the nearby sailing ship, which brought them to Queen Victoria in order to make chess pieces, but she put them aside because she was suddenly more interested in the game of bridge.
Lol
Best comment.
The guitar is frightening... Will's playing is terrifyingly great!
Thanks Matt! 👻
Playing like that can only be done with CGI….no human can play that well…😱😱
The quilted mahogany back is quite literally the most beautiful back of a guitar I've ever seen. I've been collecting for 25 years... I just want to see this in person. Beautiful work. I've never wanted a guitar so bad in my life.
You can have one too!
I have some planks dated to 1982 summer. And harvested a couple years prior.
Absolutely Wonderful!!!! Excited for the full demo!!!!!
Ty homie ❤️
The bass side is incredible, so clear.
The quilted mahogany is so breathtaking. Remarkable how the story of the tree endures. The detail in the tuners. Wow!
Beautiful sounding and beautiful guitar.
Nice pairing! Thank you for sharing!
Welcome!
Beautiful in every way - visual and tonal (I expect it smell good, too)!
Just wait til you lick it!
I have wondered about that combination of The Tree and Lucky Strike. I shall wonder no more - magnificent!
thanks Raf!
Insanely gorgeous!
Thanks Ryan
What a privilege to work with such stunning wood(s). Just stunning. You should be so proud to have made an heirloom instrument of this quality.
Thank you so much!
No words to articulate the beauty here. Absolutely exquisite.
Thank you my friend
Wow. Beautiful.
Just unbelievable. Amazing sounding guitar. And those woods pieces are beautiful. Great tone! BTW what is the name of the song played in the demo? Thks.
Good Lordy, what a voice! So nice!!
Thanks Scott
It’s a beauty for sure!
Very much appreciated
It sounds, and looks like a cloud it's of perfection of course
Thanks Paul!
Magnificent guitar! indeed!
I am saddened to see this guitar though as it brings back memories. I had two sets of mahogany from the "tree". I got them when I worked at Martin guitar back in the 80's. They had purchased a few sets for some very special guitars. I was able to purchase 2 sets back then for a great price. I believe i paid 40 a set. I held onto them with the intent to build my dream guitar. Years go by and I find my self with my sets and a bunch of other hand picked highly worthy sets that I had left in my fathers home in storage. He was selling the house and I needed to remove them from the home. I had every intention of retrieving them the next day as as was unable to take them with me on my first trip. However the new owner, undenounced to us came to the home the day after I had been there and cleaned out the remaining items and tossed the sets I left into a burn of rubbish. Yes up in smoke they went. That was 15 or so years ago and to this day I still kick myself for not scooping them up and taking them with me. I just didn't for the life of me expect that this would happen to them. So when I see mahogany like this from the "tree" i am taken back to that time.
You have done justice to such beautiful wood, the guitar is stunning.
Oh my god!!!
You should go back and burn the whole damn house down
Omg…! What a remarkable guitar. Congratulations to all involved in its creation and especially to the lucky (strike) owner, or should I say custodian of this heritage piece.
Thanks Terry!
@@TomSandsGuitars give you my 2015 prius for it; has 230 000 miles....
@@nonicosio does it have large cup holders?
@@TomSandsGuitars it has one on each front doors, two middle front and one between seats, four you can reach while driving; aaah the best part;, many a times i run out of gas and keep going...hahah,,,,thanks for sharing, i love guitars, i buy them broken, fix them and share them with students... my pleasure; i am starting to lean how to build guitars, am 70 years old...keep the good work
@@nonicosio sounds great!! On all fronts! Thanks for watching
Wow best part
Hearty congratulations on this extraordinary achievement, Brother Tom! This new instrument is bound for an illustrious career in the annals of the World's Greatest. Raucous applause!
I've built two guitars with Tree mahogany; one of them with Tree back, sides, AND top. My client seemed more interested in having a show piece made- a unique bit of guitar-art. We were both massively thrilled when it turned out to sound magnificent, as well as its eye-popping visual statement. I had my doubts that the tortoiseshell quilt would make a good soundboard, but it did- lattice-braced with Tunnel 14 Redwood, and using a JLD Bridge Doctor to somewhat mitigate the torsion from string pull.
Those sides are a little scary to bend, eh? I hedged my bets by thicknessing to 1.3 mm, and laminating with inner sides of straight-grain mahogany. Never a dull moment on that build!
I'm a huge fan of your work, Tom. Thanks for the inspiration!
I know Michael Watts who has a guitar made from the tree, says that it definitely has a quality all of its own in terms of sound which is cool as it’s not just visually stunning
Thank you my friend! That guitar sounds wild! Please email me some pics 🙏
Congratulations on your existence.
What a beautiful guitar. The sounds remind me of number 7 ;)
Cheers Dave!
Oh My Gosh - that is a spectacular instrument. I was already quite impressed but my head exploded when Will started playing. Tom's description of the guitar tonal profile having a "nylon quality" is right on target. I absolutely love Lucky Strike Redwood and the Ziricote fretboard is perfect. But I have to say, I am still smiling from seeing the custom Scheller tuners. These are my favorite tuning machines, but seeing Tom's headstock shape designed into them is fantastic!🤠
Thanks, John
Gig Harbor, WA
Glad you like them John! Will get some for yours
what's to think? Apart from THE woods, the sound is rich and gorgeous. If guitars were like Stradivari violins....but wait a moment.... this one IS!!!
Congrats
Wow! Thank you
The extra fretboard length is fancy too😂
Talking about accomplishments is ok with me.
Talking about money is crass. Minus several points.
Lucky Strike Redwood, from my long time friend Craig Carter.
I surfaced hundreds of tops for Craig, which were sent all over the world and America.
I still have some of this redwood in my stash as well as sample boards for dealers with Craig's label.
I moved his shop and house hold to Petrolia from Central Calif.
When Craig passed away, I moved his shop and household to storage in the Eureka Calif area..
RIP Craig.
Cool story Jeff.
Ps - your continued derogatory comments and attempted put downs really are starting to become tiresome, Jeff. Frankly, they reek of insecurity. It’s a pretty common theme amongst ‘The Old Guard’, so believe me when I say, I don’t hold it against you, nor do I care for how many points I score in your book.
You clearly enjoy watching my content, I can see that you’re working your way through my back catalogue, I appreciate the engagement. So I’ll keep it simple, either play nice and be respectful or I’ll block you from the channel and the community I’ve worked hard to cultivate here.
Talking about money isn’t crass, not talking about money is a system of control. Get over it.
@@TomSandsGuitars Got your message . We have differing opinions; my "era" has a different set of standards.
I'll comply with your wish. No hard feelings. Incidentally, i did not work my way through your back catalogue, the
video simply showed up on you tube.
I can't imagine what it's like to work with such incredible woods. How does it feel? Being an experienced luthier keeps you from being a little anxious while cutting/bending/etc. something like The Tree?😊
The anxiety never really goes away! 🤣
Tom, do you have a sense of the difference in tone quality between Lucky Strike Redwood and Tunnel 13 Redwood?
Thanks, John
Gig Harbor, WA
I do not, I’ve not handled tunnel 13. But lucky strike is magical stuff as you know
Not Tom, but no.
And tunnel 13 was illegally harvested by a local guitar shop dealer and con artist here in So Oregon. Criminal act.
He has sold it and is in process of making guitars from his stolen wood.
i wish i could make guitars as i would love to make my dream left handed nylon with a cut away and 8 strings as i like to play a lot of open melodies and different tunings.
If you can learn to play one you can learn to make one. Go for it! You will love that guitar more than any other, even if it's not the best.
The soundhole having a chunk of the fingerboard in it looks odd to me but still amazing piece of art.
It's what selmer did on the macaferri guitars Django Reinhardt played. I love it
A beautiful piece of work (as usual). I must say I was particularly impressed with the fact you know so many words too…is that a new thing? 🤣
“Exquisite” 🤣
@@TomSandsGuitars it really is mate. This belongs in an art gallery. Utter perfection.
Wow! What a great guitar. I'm lucky enough to have had a guitar made for me with Lucky Strike Redwood. It zings...
Mine is paired with Tasmanian Blackwood. It's truly an amazing soundboard. I've always wanted to know what it would be like paired with the Tree. Thanks Tom
Thanks Simon! I love LS redwood
"The Tree" hype has less to do with the wood than "The Builder". The hype is all about "The Benjamin$". 😏
@@TAYLORFAN50 what are you still doing here?
When I was building from 1998 to 2006, I lived in the San Francisco Bay area and regularly went to the annual Healdsburg guitar festival. My building friends at the time turned me onto Alicia Carter. She used to sell her wood out of her car in the parking lot Who knew that 20+ years later the Redwood sets that I purchased from Alicia would be so spectacular. Due to a number of health related issues I had to stop building Guitars. I still have two or three sets of Alicia‘s best. I’m pretty sure it’s lucky strike. I’ve saved my tonewood stash some of which is 24 or 25 years old. Tom is absolutely correct, the Redwood tops are perfectly quartered and something to behold.
Have we been in contact via email before Randall? I recall this story.
Yes, Tom. In fact I was hoping you would make it to San Diego (before Covid) so that you could go through my stash. It’s sitting unused and that is simply a crime. I know you were going to come but something got in the way, probably Covid.
@@RandyBelinda yes, it was covid but I still need to come out so I’ll let you know!
what song or songs is will playing here?!? is such a gorgeous composition
It’s ‘The Botanist’ by Will McNicol. Fabulous player, you can see the full demo on the website and many others by him on our channel 🙏
Good lord that Quilted Mahogany made my eyes water.
The most beautiful guitar ever made.
...until my Dragon Juniper guitar gets built ;)
Yes!
Just out of curiosity, did you use something particular to glue up the Zircote?
I used a variety of glues depending on the part but the main thing was to make sure everything was cleaned with acetone beforehand.
@@TomSandsGuitars Makes sense. I've made a few wenge fretboards and one wenge neck in the past year, and while it takes standard wood glue with no issues, it has a very long cure with CA glue.
Lovely guitar by the way. The Tree, no less.
you know it's expensive when you know the story of all the materials used. Good stuff
thanks!
Holy shmoly!!! Absolutely incredible.
Thank you Daniel
Although this guitar is super expensive, it's not the most expensive guitar I have ever seen a video of on CZcams - that was a $275,000 classical guitar - it could have been a Torres, I believe. But still, Tommy - you definitely spared no expense as far as the materials were concerned. And the sound was absolutely exquisite - one of the best sounding guitars I've every heard, for sure - its sheer melodic and fluid mellowness is its key virtue. But I'm sure that you could get darn close to equaling that sound for a lot less money!
I’d like to hope so! Thanks for watching
was the black and white picture, of that actual tree, or was it just used as an example??
It was the actual tree
@@TomSandsGuitars if you notice it was growing at a fairly steep angle, I have seen videos of Paul Reed Smith explaining it about maple! 1 side of the tree, is constantly in compression and that's where the figure comes from!
@@andyt5559 compression is definitely responsible for ‘compression curl’ but not all figure is formed this way.
Will's playing is terrifyingly great
I have nightmares.
Cheers👍🍺
Why don't acoustics have a maple fretboard like you get on a Strat or Tele? Maple is sooooo nice to play
Go check out my guitar ‘Blanca’
I've never seen any guitar with maple frets but I think I've seen one with a stainless steel fingerboard
Worth it. That sounds incredible. Why nickle frets over stainless?
these are actually EVO gold frets, sadly now discontinued. I've not worked with stainless and doubt I will, primarily due to workability
@@TomSandsGuitars I think when I refret my strat I will do stainless wish me luck lol. Something about stainless I really like not that they are any better. The gold frets look great though.
@@bonerici you’re a braver man than I
@@TomSandsGuitars no my guitar is cheaper that's what it is so if I make a mistake no big deal
4:15 👍🏼👍🏼
Niiiiiiiiice ❤❤❤
Ty ❤️
That redwood top is insane for how tight the grain is. Just beautiful and as a wealthy friend once told me after questioning what he pays to go fishing? That everyone’s idea of value of money is subjective
You are so right!
It's a microphone captured sound so great microphone.
Okay
Was it a custom-order, or did you build it for nobody in particular?
Custom
What do you call the body shape?
model S
Wooooooow👍
😎❤️
Absolutely beautiful! A pity though, probably spend it's life in a glass case somewhere in a millionaires guitar collection. I know I really am a glass half empty kind of guy.
Tom, gorgeous work and design. And those tuners, very cool.
Dane, are you sure the wealthy owner doesn't open the vault from time to time and just grabs it and makes a Three Dog Night riff from their Shambala song ?
Thankfully the owner is a very passionate and committed musician.
Good lord i mightve just died.
10/10 would play
Thanks Allan
I'll Take TWO
MAGNIFICENT SIR!
😘
Here’s a funny bit: Cedar and mahogany is pretty much viewed as the lowliest wood combination! Nobody much makes it, no but much wants it. And here we are! (Yes, I know it’s redwood, but cedar soundboards basically the same (I think I like the sound of them even better, myself). Cedar and mahogany is a winning combo too, btw. Warm and bright at the same time, with a woody sparkle. Tom could make one that sounded just as good with a $50 back set and $20 top.
V kind
Mahogany.. yes... cedar... meh.
Sounds like my Yamaha f-310 brilliant
You’ve obviously got a very nice Yamaha, congrats.
What, no wammy bar?
Lucky Strike vs Bois de Rose PLEASE
No VS
Really nice job👍👍Thanks dear friend 🤍🤍🌹🌹
Thank you
Isn’t this when one of us supposed to say my Taylor sounds ten times as good for less coin🤔😜
No seriously I seen a comment on a good acoustic guitar Facebook place from a guy who admitted to being a strummer and if he would be able to tell the difference between his 3 grand factory made guitar and a guitar from a Luthier in your stratosphere? The replies were all bang on about the difference and imo when I hear a Tom Sands guitar its always the bottom strings played up the neck that strikes me as being special
Each to their own, as long as you like what you’re playing, it’s the best.
I thinks it sounds nice, but not better than a $30,000 Olson or Ryan. $52,000? C'mon man. 😏
@@TAYLORFAN50 $52,700
DID it SELL?
Yup
What?! Not tuned in Drop D?! :P
I keep asking for Slayer but the boy won’t budge
Great, now I just have to save up a years income.... Nice work!
I’ll be waiting for ya! ❤️
Whoever ends up with this guitar - post videos!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Huh, sound demo quality leaves much to be desired - definetely would benefit from better room (acoustically speaking) :)
牛逼
I thought this was Freddy Dredd
exquisite?
I need to improvise my vocab 🤣
Looks amazing, take nothing away From this guitar the craftsmanship is, well you can see , my mind is blown as a wood grain lover it's everything I could dream of , but the sound I'm sorry ,my Yamaha FG 800m sound's as good if not better than this guitar hands down that's not saying it sounds bad it's not particularly bright the mid is weak and it's got no bottom end . Still sounds nice , but its disappointing , maybe it's because it looks so amazing , regardless though I'd still buy it if I could , because it's stunning , bit like an attractive woman with shit personality , you still going in .🤣
And that’s the beauty of acoustic guitars! We all have our opinions and that’s why we all drool over the next one!
I don't see how anyone can fairly judge the sound of a guitar (or any instrument for that matter) on a CZcams video as opposed to listening to it in person.
@@philwilliams8328 it’s a good indicator but like you say, always best to try in person if you can.
Nah, attractive women with shit personalities are a dime a dozen, not $57000 each
Please.
Thank you
At most it's worth 5 to 6 thousand😊
Lol
the weird thing about sound is, it doesn't exist anywhere, the "noise" in your head is entirely simulated.
So strings don't transfer kinetic energy from your picking hand into a vibrating piece of wood that pushes air in waves to your ears for your inner ear to absorb and convert into electrical impulses in your brain? You learn something everyday
OK, it does actually sound incredible, lol…
I guess if you are really rich why not--but most accomplished players are not really rich---its all about the right kind of practice to get the playing technique---not the most expensive guitar---nice sound demo---but the fellow giveing the sound demo would sound good on any guitar.
Sorry, going to be controversial... Uhm... the expensive woods. Yes very rare and beautiful, and highest quality with respect to tone... BUT any better than other highest quality less famous, planer looking woods? Dare I say, no? Different for sure, and lovely, ....but the selling price is not really indicative of the actual costs these woods compared to other premium tone woods... the mark up is much higher relative to woods in same bracket of tonal quality. Surely the price is simply what the market will stand and someone is prepared to pay? The tonal characteristics may be wonderful, but having heard quite a few Tree instruments compared with other high quality BRW, ABW or even old growth Cuban, whilst its different/unique, its not 'better' so is it really worth a 5-8x more? As a work of rare art maybe, but not sure anyone could honestly suggest it is, purely doing what it is designed to do... as an instrument, to be strummed, picked, played live etc... ?
I do wonder how much 'emporers new clothes' thinking goes on with these woods - Guitars built with them are so expensive that those buying them will always say they are the best ever, and those who dont think so, remain quiet for fear of being called ignorant?
Thats not to say its not beautiful and stunning craftsmanship, and undoubtedly sounds lovely...
You don’t need to apologise! You speak sense. 🙏
@@TomSandsGuitars Thank you. This is such a sensitive area for some given the cost... and to be fair it has become a 'work or art' grade tonewood because it is so spectacularly beautiful, and its great that some of this precious resource has made its way into such skilled luthier hands as opposed to just desks and study panelling...(but at leat that may become a 'recycled' resource for luthiers in future :-) ) but as a wood for instruments it creates some interesting questions. Can we really judge the quality of an instrument based on its materials?
...Or do we judge it based on the music it is used to create? As a very average player, but a lover of fine instruments that sadly I could never do justice to, I have heard great players produce remarkable music on relatively modest instruments... and sadly modest players not really get anything special from some VERY expensive guitars I should know, I am one of them ;-)
Obviously, when we see such beautiful instruments most are demo'd by excellent players... so we hear them at their best... but these are players who will make all that they play sound stunning... so not easy too answer. BUT undeniably stunning guitar and tone.
@@frankcousins6479 I think it’s important to understand that we experience guitars holistically, all our senses acting in unison. How a guitar looks and how we feel about it’s ‘value’, will undoubtedly (if not consciously) influence our appreciation of its sound. That has been my experience at least. Of course, the purists won’t like me saying so.
We try to cover all of the bases when we demo our guitars in terms of ‘ability’, you might enjoy our Shop Sessions, these will give you a sense of how the guitars sound in the hands of all sorts of players, warts and all!
Cheers!
@@TomSandsGuitars Agree and that is, if being honest part of the wonder of instruments - why we lust after n+1 when we already have stunning instruments. That unique quality that you allude to; the 'lust' for that ultimate combination of tone and visual appeal. I cannot deny my suffering ;-) I wonder if when we are really being honest... that sense of 'value' is also very much influenced by the name on the headstock?
PS. If not yet experienced, try some Ardnamurchan ;-)
When a guitar 's cost is this astronomical, where does the $700 figure in?
The price.
🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑
Brilliant quality = cost.
Pretty much sums it up!
My Fifty dollar Yamaha just went and hid in the corner
At the end of the day, whether your guitar costs $50 or $500,000, being inspired by it and wanting to play is all that really matters. 🙌
I thought it said $57 guitar
I can see how that might have happened, the numbers 5 and 7 are definitely in there so you’re not a complete idiot. 👏
@@TomSandsGuitars you still calling me and idiot?😂 kidding
My $25 Yamaha guitar would give it a run for its money……….wait 😂
Sounds more like a 45,000 guitar
Meet me in the middle
Great, but only worth that money to someone with money to burn.
We build guitars at a more modest price point too Tex, if you’d like an options list, one which does require setting fire to your wallet, please do get in touch. 😘
tldr; most expensive guitars are made from most famous trees
Correct.
It's overdone and looks gaudy. Love the woods tho :)
So you like it but don’t like it. Makes sense.
@@TomSandsGuitars Not my interpretation.
Save your scraps. Just sayin.
I can send you a few bits! Still need to send you a shirt, did you mail me your address?
Obviuosly, I won't be buying my next guitar from you.
Obviuosly not.
@@TomSandsGuitars what a snobby, unpleasant, unfeeling and condescending reply. What a loser.
Why did you choose such a block shaped heel design? It looks very uncomfortable and unfinished. And is your neck made of Pernambuco? If it's not, then it's not made with the most expensive (and highly sought after) neck wood.
Have you ever tried veneering whale bacalum in Cuban mahogany? Go try it and then come back telling me my heel shape is blocky and unfinished.
Tell me you are insecure without saying you are insecure.
Absolutely gorgeous guitar and the finest craftsmanship. Thanks for making the video!
@@JeremyBrown-mb3ys no insecurity here my friend, more than happy for constructive criticism, feedback, in fact I welcome it. What I don’t appreciate is Joe Schmo in the comment section being a jerk.
@@TomSandsGuitarsmy apologies. That part of the reply was in response to the criticism you received, and not directed towards you. I didn’t believe you to be the one who is insecure.
Silly.
No you’re silly
You've $10,000 worth of materials tops and then you charged $42k to build it? Nice mark up for an unknown builder making an undistinguished guitar. I know Wayne Henderson has used The Tree and he's the best luthier on the planet and he charged like 5000 bucks for the guitar, Ken Hooper too, 7000 so where's the value in your disjointed build? Give me Mr Hendersons voicing on any piece of wood over a nobody price gouging for a very average looking guitar that Takamine could've designed and probably did. lol
🤣 if you say so.
@@TomSandsGuitars Laughing at Wayne Henderson, Wow the arrogance of hipsters with no knowledge or respect for the real legendary luthiers. Henderson guitars resell for five times what he charges for them, your guitars will resell for one fifth of what you charged for them so the only thing more inflated than your prices is your ego.
@@TomSandsGuitars Infantile, irrelevant response.
Not the best tone.
What does best mean to you?
@@TomSandsGuitars It means that it is :
Simply the best
Better than all the rest
Better than anyone
Anyone I've ever met
I'm stuck on your heart
I hang on every word you say
Tear us apart
Baby, I would rather be dead
@@ShredCo that’s cute, but let’s talk metrics, back up your statement.
@@TomSandsGuitars I really can't without hearing and playing it myself. It certainly looks beautiful. It doesn't sound as warm or rich as similarly expensive guitars I have heard here but there could be a lot of other factors distorting perception.
jesus.
Show just looks of a guitar gives it a reduculous value but surely you didnt pay that much for wood. God created seeds trees are free.
Why is it ridiculous?
@@TomSandsGuitars because its just wood looks good though.
Then what !!! 👎